Racking-machine



(No Model.)

G. W. PAGKER.

RAGKING MACHINE. No. 426,056. Patented Apr. 22, 1890.

NirED TATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE IV. PAOKER, OF ROCK` FALLS, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,056, dated April 22, 1890.

Application tiled August 28, 1888. Renewed November Z1, 1889. Serial No. 381,075. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE XV. PACKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Falls, in the county of .Vhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racking-Machines, (in cooperageg) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the sam e, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in racking-machines, and is intended to adord a rapid, convenient, and efficient method of splitting the hoops from the bunch, in which form they are received at the factory.

In the timber where the hoop-timber is iirst prepared for convenience in shipment a part of the hoops-six or more-are left united for some distance at one end-that is to say, the splitting of the individual hoop is suspended before quite reaching the end of the bunch. The mode of splitting each individual hoop from the bunch heretofore adopted has been to soak the united end and then place the bunch on the floor. The operator then grasped one hoop at a time where split from the others, and, placing one foot on the residue of the bunch, stripped such hoop by an upward lift. It frequently occurred that the hoop thus attempted to be split from the bunch would run out before reaching the end of the bunch, and thereby become too short to be used in common with the others.

The object and advantage of my invention is to not only sever each of the hoops at the place of their mutual union, but to sever all of the hoops in the bunch at one operation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a machine Vembodying my invention with a portion of the upper part of the frame out away. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section in the line co a: of Fig. l, except that the large gearwheel and two pulleys are shown intact.

A is the frame of the machine, which may be rectangular in form aad adapted to be seated at any locality upon the floor of the factory.

I3 is a driving-shaft suitably journaled across the frame A, upon which is rigidly seated the drive-pulley C and loosely seated the idle-pulley D. Rotation is imparted to the shaft B by shifting the ordinary belt driven from the usual line-shaft from the idler D to the rigidly-seated drive-pulley C; and when it is desired to suspend the operation of the machine such belt is shifted to and carried upon the idler D in the usual way.

To the shaft B, within the pulley O, is rigidly keyed a small pinion E, which intermeshes with and actuates the larger gearwheel F. The gear F is rigidly seated on a double-crank axle G, provided centrally with the elbow-crank G. The axle G is suitably journaled in the Outer ends of the arms H H, and the inner ends of said arms are respectively sleeved on the axle B.

A strong metallic arm or plate J is rigidly attached at each end to the frame A and extends perpendicular to the shaft G, under the latter centrally below the elbow-crank G. To the lower side of the arm or plate J and directly under the downward limit of the elbow-crank G is attached a vertical downwardly-projected core-rod K. A transverse plate L, supported at each end by substantially-vertical rods K', attached at their upper ends, respectively, to the outer ends of the arms II Il, is sleeved on the lower portion of t-he rod K. The lower ends of the rods K are respectively projected downwardly through the ends of the cross-plate L and attached thereto with the ordinary nuts. The lower end of the rod K is projected downwardly centrally through the plate L, and the latter is adapted to playin a vertical line loosely on said rod.

The axle G is held yieldingly downward by means of the strong coiled spring N, coiled about the rod K between the upper end of the latter and the plate L.

That portion of the plate J which lies under the sweep or orbit of the horizontal portion of the elbow-crank G is bent downwardly concentrically with said orbit.

The bunch hl to be operated upon is placed, as shown in Fig. l, upon the plate J, in line therewith, and projected with its closed end under the sweep of the elbow-crank G. The

ICO

the bunch M is projected, as aforesaid, under the sweep of said crank the rotation of the latter causes the friction-roller to traverse lengthwise said bunch in the direction of its closed end. In Fig. l t-he bunch is shown in the position it occupies when the frictionroller has nearly entirely traversed it; but

the bunch as inserted lies in a straight line across the chord of the curved portion of the plate J, and as the friction-roller O is forced down upon said bunch it compels the latter to take the curved position shown in Fig. l; and this forcing process has the effect to gradually continue the several splits in the bunch at and through the closed end thereof. As some of the bunches are thicker than Others, the yielding downward attach ment aforesaid of the axle G, constituted of the spring N and its adj unctive apparatus, is provided, to permit the outer ends of the arms H I-I, and with them the axle G, to yield sufficiently upward to accommodate such varying thickness of the interposed bunches M.

' This adaptation might be provided in the plate J in some obvious mode. rlhe closed ends of the bunches M are softened for the process, as usual, by being soaked a short time in water, and one rotation of the axle G is sucient to simultaneously and speedily sever each of the hoops from the bunch by intense pressure thereon and the curvature thereby imparted thereto.

A stop P, formed on the plate J, against which the inner end of the bunch M is abut-ted, serves as a guide for and also holds said bunch from slipping endwise when the pressure is applied thereto.

IVhat I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of t-he United States, is-

l. The combination of the plate J, having a downwardly-curved portion J and ayieldingly-suspended rotating axle G, provided with the elbow-crank G', and means for rotating said axle, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the axle G, suitably journaled in the arms H I-I and provided with the elbow-crank G the plate J, suitably attached to said frame and provided with the downward curve J and projected under and in line with the orbit of said elbow-crank, means for imparting rotation to the axle G, and means, substantially as shown, for holding downward the outer ends of said arms H H, for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the frame A, axle- B, suitably journaled thereon, pinion E, drive-pulley C, gear F, axle G, provided with elbow-crank G, plate J, provided with the downward curve J rod K, rods K', plate L,-

and spring N, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

4L. The combination of the gear F, suit-able means for imparting rotation thereto, yielding axle G, provided with the elbow-crank G and friction-roller O, and plate J, provided with downward curve J substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. PACKER. Witnesses:

J oHN G.- MANAHAN, JOHN F. BARRETT. 

